Revision as of 05:30, 18 June 2013

Houston is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings — have a look at each of them.

Main Street Houston

Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States.[65] It is huge, both in population and in land area. "Urban sprawl" is a term that definitely fits this city. Houston is a multicultural city home to some of the nation's largest Black, Latin American, and Arab populations. It also boasts a world class symphony and theater district that includes a full-time ballet company and opera.

Districts

The city is divided into wards and they tend to have distinct populations.

Downtown (Skyline District, Theater District, Historic District, Warehouse District)Center of the city, still the home of high finance and big business. Houston is second only to New York City in corporate headquarters of Fortune 500 companies. Many of them are located downtown including some of the world's largest energy companies.[66] Downtown Houston also boasts the third largest theater district in the United States and the city has world class permanent organizations such as the Houston Symphony and Houston Ballet. The Houston Pavilions entertainment district opened in October 2008 between Main St. and the Toyota Center.

Neartown (Montrose, Midtown, EaDo-East End)Ideally bordered by Midtown, Heights, River Oaks, and the Medical Center. Montrose is Houston's longtime home of its LGBT population. Lower Westheimer (Westheimer in between Montrose Blvd. and Shepherd) offers an array of resale fashion shops, eclectic shopping as well as antique stores. The gay nightlife is centered around Pacific St. and surrounding streets. Many Montrose neighborhood pubs attract an eclectic and diverse crowd.

North Loop (The Heights, Washington Corridor)A large district of gingerbread Victorian homes as well as early 20th Century bungalows. Like its sister neighborhood Montrose, The Heights is home to a diverse population from artists and musicians to wealthy professionals. Parts of the Heights are still dry, fostering a large number of BYOB restaurants ideal for those who enjoy their own selected wine.

South Loop (South Main, Museum District, Med Center)To the south and east of downtown lie Rice University, the many attractions of Hermann Park, Reliant Stadium, and the Texas Medical Center (or just "the med center"), including some of the world's best hospitals. The Rice Village is a highly concentrated area of restaurants, bars, and shopping.

West Loop (Uptown, River Oaks, Upper Kirby & Greenway, West U)Uptown or The Galleria Area is known for its namesake, a huge high-end shopping mall complex and has the tallest building in the United States outside of a main downtown area, the Williams tower. Nearby River Oaks is home to Houston's most exclusive and affluent neighborhoods and businesses, home to eye-popping mansions and the River Oaks Shopping Center, one of America's first suburban shopping districts and a great display of Art Deco architecture. This area has many great restaurants, vibrant nightlife, and infamous traffic jams during peak hours.

Understand

Houston is the largest city in the United States without any appreciable zoning. While there is some small measure of zoning in the form of ordinances, deed restrictions, and land use regulations, real estate development in Houston is only constrained by the will and the pocketbook of real estate developers. Traditionally, Houston politics and law are strongly influenced by real estate developers; at times, the majority of city council seats have been held by developers.

The city is primarily built on the oil industry. What this means to the visitors is that, although the city has several good cultural and tourist destinations due to its population, there aren't as many as expected for a city of over 2 million people. Houston's large population comes partly from the fact that it encompasses a whopping 600 square miles of land area, much larger in land area than New York City (300 square miles), Los Angeles (460 square miles), and Chicago (225 square miles) -the nation's three most populous cities- yet Houston has less population. Another noticeable fact, unlike most major cities around the country, Houston has relatively few suburbs surrounding it. This is because the city government tends to annex any substanial population centers that grow near it, evident in Houston's land area of 600 square miles. Such a spread out low-density city means a car is essential for getting around the area efficiently. However, Houston's concentration of attractions lay, more specifically, in between downtown and the Galleria.

Visitor information

The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau operates the Houston Visitors Center,[67]. The center is located in the heart of downtown Houston at 901 Bagby (corner of Bagby and Walker St.), on the first floor of the historic City Hall. Find information on Houston's history, attractions, restaurants, hotels, directions, maps, purchase Houston merchandise and watch an 11-minute film on Houston. You'll find over 10,000 brochures and magazines to help plan your visit to the Houston area. The center is open Monday - Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Climate

Houston's climate generally ranges from a very hot summer to a mild winter. Humidity is high in the summer months and make temperatures feel extremely hot. The city also has a fairly large amount of rainy and cloudy days throughout the year. The months of October to April make for the best time to visit in order to avoid the heat.

Get in

By plane

George Bush Intercontinental airport

Houston is served by two major commercial airports and two smaller regional airports.

The large airports are:

George Bush Intercontinental Airport , (IATA: IAH) [68]. The larger of the two airports and is located 23 miles north of downtown near Beltway 8, between IH-45 North and US-59 North. It is the largest hub for United Airlines and serves 24 domestic and international airlines.

William P. Hobby Airport, (IATA: HOU) [69]. Located 7 miles south of downtown and is located off of I-45 South. It is convenient if you're travelling downtown or south of the city, such as to Galveston. Its main carrier is Southwest Airlines, and it also served by Delta Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue, and AirTran (which has been purchased by Southwest and will be absorbed by that carrier in 2012).

The smaller airports are:

Sugar Land Regional Airport, (IATA: SGR) [70]. Located 25 miles southwest of downtown on TX 6, just north of U.S. 59. It is a popular choice among the well-heeled corporate aircraft set.

Ellington Field, (IATA: EFD) [71]. Located 19 miles southeast of downtown, just off I-45. Formerly an air force base, now used for general aviation, non-passenger commercial traffic, and government aviation (NASA, Texas Air National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard).

By train

Amtrak, 902 Washington Ave, [72]. Amtrak's Sunset Limited line is the only passenger train route with a stop in Houston, although a daily bus provides a direct connection from the Houston Amtrak station to the Texas Eagle at Longview.

By car

Houston's major freeways include:

IH-45 North ("North Freeway"): To Dallas

IH-45 South ("Gulf Freeway"): To Galveston

IH-10 West ("Katy Freeway"): To San Antonio

IH-10 East: ("Baytown/East Freeway", not to be confused with "Eastex freeway") to Beaumont

IH-610 ("The Loop"): Loop around downtown

US-59 South ("Southwest Freeway"): to Victoria

US-59 North ("Eastex Freeway"): to Lufkin

US-290 West ("Northwest Freeway"): to Austin

SH-249 North ("Tomball Parkway"): to Tomball

SH-288 South ("South Freeway"): to Freeport

SH-225 East ("Pasadena Freeway"): to La Porte

BW-8 ("The Beltway/Sam Houston Tollway"): Loop about twice as far out as IH-610.

Autobus Americanos, [76]. Mexican trans-border bus line with services to various points in Mexico.

Harrisburg, 7700 Harrisburg Blvd.

Southwest, Hillcroft at Southwest Freeway (US 59)

Turimex Internacional, [77]. Mexican trans-border bus line with services to various points in Mexico.

Harrisburg, 7011 Harrisburg Blvd.

Southwest, Hillcroft at Southwest Freeway (US 59)

Omnibus Mexicanos, [78]. Mexican trans-border bus line with services to various points in Mexico.

Third Ward, 3200 Telephone Rd.

You can get to Houston easily from Mexico (from as far as Mexico City and Michoacan) on a bus. In the bus stations of many major cities in Mexico you will see buses advertised to go to Houston.

There are many private bus companies in Houston that exclusively serve Mexico.

Get around

By car

Houston has a number of freeways and tollways that make getting around the metro area by car fairly easy. The expressway system is arguably the second-most comprehensive in the nation, after that of Los Angeles (see list of freeways under the "Get in" section.) A number of obstacles, however, can make driving in Houston a less than pleasant experience. One is construction, which seems to be ever-present; and the other is traffic. Evening rush hour in Houston begins as early as 4PM and can last to 7PM. Morning rush hour is between 7AM and 9AM. During rush hour, traffic on the highways can come to a halt. The area near the Galleria, between US-59 and IH-10, is an area you should avoid during rush hour if possible.

One peculiarity about Houston's freeway system is the ubiquity of frontage roads, or, as they're called by the locals, feeders. These are pairs of one-way surface roads which run parallel to several freeways in Houston and its suburbs, similar to what are called service roads in other parts of the country. The most basic thing to remember is that, after you've turned onto a feeder road from a surface street, you'll have to take another ramp to enter the freeway. Rest assured, they're easy to navigate once you get used to it. *Houston Traffic Map [79]

Some freeways have limited-access lanes located in the median strip of the highway, generally called HOV (High-Occupancy Vehicle) Lanes. These lanes usually can't be entered directly from the feeder roads, so using them usually requires finding a METRO Park-and-Ride. Google Maps doesn't seem to know they exist, but if you can navigate METRO's HOV maps, these traffic-free lanes can save you a lot of time if heading to or from downtown during rush hour.

The HOV lanes are generally operational Monday - Friday. In the morning morning hours (5AM - 11AM) they run inbound, and in the afternoon and evening (from 2PM - 8PM), outbound. The HOV lanes are generally restricted to cars with 2 or more passengers, but the Northwest freeway's HOV lanes require 3 or more passengers during peak travel periods (6:45-8AM). The HOV lanes can be marked with signs bearing a white diamond on a black background, or, more recently, with signs bearing a green strip saying "Express lane" at the top. Highways with HOV lanes are: I-45 North, I-45 South, US-59 North, US-59 South, I-10 West (Katy Freeway), and US-290.

Recently, The Katy Freeway HOV lanes have been expanded into the Katy Freeway Managed Lanes, a 24-hour multi-lane HOV with paid Single-Occupancy Vehicle access cost-adjusted based on HOV usage. In addition, METRO has announced a program to allow Single-Occupant Vehicles onto HOV lanes with the payment of a toll. More information about these new HOT Lanes can be found at the aptly-named ihatehoustontraffic.com.

Note: The Sam Houston (except for the 13 mile Northeast section) and Hardy Tollways are the only toll-roads that allow cash payment of tolls at toll plazas. All other toll-roads, including managed lanes, require a pre-paid RFID "EZ Tag." Cash toll plazas accept coins from $0.05 up to $20 bills and do not accept credit or debit cards.

By public transportation

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, better known as METRO[83], operates local and express bus lines, as well as the new and very popular light rail line called METRORail[84]. Visitors may be able to get around without a car, especially if they stick close to downtown, but ample free and cheap parking, combined with Houston's suburban sprawl, make public transit an unpopular choice for Houstonians themselves.

All METRO fares can be paid with exact change in coins and $1 bills, or with the recently-implemented reloadable fare smartcard, the Q Card. Q Cards can be obtained for free at METRO's RideStore downtown, and at many local supermarkets, usually at the same service center you'd go to to cash a check or send a wire transfer. Oddly enough, the machines at Park & Ride lots and METRORail stations do not sell Q Cards, so bring exact change or buy your Q Card before boarding. There are four options for re-filling your Q Card:

Ticket Vending Machines at METRORail stations, which accept both cash and credit cards

Bus Reloaders at the back of every local bus. These are a bit counterintuitive to use, but once you get them, they're quite simple. Insert a bill, and then place your card in the slot. These machines take $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills, and will reload only one bill at a time.

Places where cards can be bought: any store that sells Q Cards can also reload the card for you—just ask at the service desk! Most grocery chains and many convenience stores sell Q Cards.

By bus

If you're brave enough to see Houston from the back seat of a bus, a Q Card is definitely worth the investment, as it's the only way to obtain transfers from one route to the other. Unlike other systems, which require you to transfer at a central point, or only give you a short amount of time to switch buses, METRO gives you unlimited, free transfers for a full three hours after boarding the first bus. No need to ask the driver for a transfer—just tap your Q Card like you would normally. The computer will make sure you pay the least amount possible.

By rail

METRORail is a seven and a half mile light rail line that runs between downtown, midtown, the museum district, the Medical Center, Reliant Park, and the Fannin South Park & Ride (which is a handy place to park and is located near the 610 loop). It costs $1.25 for a one-way ticket. (Also see the stay safe section.)

By taxi

Outside of Downtown, don't expect to catch a taxi on the streets, but there are various cab stands located at various parts of downtown proper. Taxis in Houston are generally dispatched by various companies the largest being Yellow Cab, 713-236-1111 or from their web page [85].

By Limousine

Traveling via a limousine has become more popular lately. Many Houston limousine companies offer full ground transportation options such as town cars, classic cars, stretch limos and luxury vehicles that can be utilized for special occasions like airport transportation, parties, school dances, business functions and weddings. Consider hiring a limousine service to handle your travel needs.

By bicycle

Houston is so spread out and (most of the time) humid and hot that bicycles are often best used for exercise or to get to somewhere that is closeby. On the other hand, if you have a little bit of stamina and perseverance, Downtown, Midtown, Rice, Uptown and the Medical Center/Hermann Park/Museum District area are within a 30 minute ride. Multi-modal transportation is also possible, since all city buses have easy to use racks in the front or storage compartments that can get traveler and bicycle near to a final destination.

The city of Houston has 290 miles of marked bike routes, plus another 80 miles of hike and bike trails in city parks, with concrete plans for even more expansion. For more information on the Houston Bikeway program, including a complete map of all marked bike paths, visit the City of Houston Bikeway Program website [86].

Talk

Houston, like many American cities, is diverse. As the state's largest city and the nation's fourth largest, Houston is home to more than 100 languages. Signs can be found in Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese, among others, but English is the lingua franca. Knowing some Spanish may help in certain neighborhoods, but most people will speak English.

See

Discovery Green Park

Travelers planning to visit multiple attractions may benefit from Houston CityPASS[87], which grants admission to 6 Houston attractions within 9 days of first use for a much reduced rate and includes expedited entry in some cases. The included attractions are: Space Center Houston; Downtown Aquarium; Houston Museum of Natural Science; Houston Zoo; Option Ticket One with choice of either Museum of Fine Arts or The Children's Museum of Houston and Option Ticket Two with choice of either George Ranch Historical Park or The Health Museum.

Do

Bayou City Arts Festival

Parks

Events & Festivals

The Houston CaribFest! Celebrating Caribbean/West Indian Cultures!

Art Car Parade, Runs along Allen Parkway, [1]. May. A parade that must be seen to be believed. For example, last year there were cupcake motorcycles, fire breathing chicken cars, and many other spectacular cars. There are vendors nearby selling water, hats, and food as well. It can get very hot!Free.

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Reliant Park, [2]. Feb-Mar. The world's largest entertainment and livestock exhibition. Concerts, rodeo competitions, livestock shows, BBQ competitions, and a carnival. Houston residents celebrate this event with Go Texan Day, where they dress in western wear the Friday before the rodeo begins.Varies.

Sports

Professional sports

Houston Astros, 510 Crawford St.., ☎+1 713-259-8000, [3]. The city's Major League Baseball team, playing at Minute Maid Park in downtown, is playing its first season in the American League in 2013 after a half-century in the National League.

Houston Texans, Two Reliant Park, ☎+1 866-GO TEXANS (468-3926) (fax: +1 832-667-2191), [4]. Houston's National Football League (NFL) team plays at Reliant Stadium in the South Loop area, next to the now-vacant Astrodome.

Houston Dynamo, 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Ste. 200, ☎+1 713-276-7500 ([email protected], fax: +1 713-276-7572), [6]. Houston's Major League Soccer team opened BBVA Compass Stadium in May 2012. Located in the East End, it is the first major soccer-specific stadium in the US in a downtown area.

College sports

Houston has four universities whose sports teams play in the top-level NCAA Division I:

Houston Cougars, [7]. The teams representing the city's largest school, the University of Houston, are preparing to move from Conference USA (C-USA) to the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in July 2013. Most athletic venues are on campus, with the best-known current venue being Hofheinz Pavilion (basketball). The former football stadium, Robertson Stadium, has been torn down; a new stadium will open on the site in 2014.

Rice Owls, [8]. Rice University, the city's most prominent private school, has remained in C-USA during the near-constant conference changes in the early 2010s. As with UH, Rice's main venues are on campus, among them Rice Stadium (football), Tudor Fieldhouse (basketball), and Reckling Park (baseball).

Texas Southern Tigers, [9]. Especially of interest to African American visitors, or those interested in African American culture, are the teams representing Texas Southern University, the city's historically black university. The Tigers compete with other historically black schools in the Southwestern Athleitc Conference. Unlike Houston and Rice, whose football teams play in the top-level FBS, Texas Southern football is in the second-level FCS. Most venues are also on campus, but the football team plays off-campus; it shares BBVA Compass Stadium with the Dynamo, and occasionally uses Reliant Stadium.

Houston Baptist Huskies, [10]. Houston Baptist University, a relatively new addition to Division I, is located in the Sharpstown area along the Southwest Freeway. The Huskies are set to move to the Southland Conference, an FCS-level league, in July 2013. Another major change for HBU sports is coming at that time—it will start a football team.

Theater and Performing Arts

The lively performing arts culture of Houston includes professional, community and university-based dance, opera, broadway musical, chamber and symphonic music groups, featuring both classical and pops programming. Theater is active in Houston and includes the Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre. Most professional theater is centered in the Theater District[http://downtownhouston.org/district/theater/, but companies are located in many neartown neighborhoods and suburbs.

The major downtown performing arts venues include The Wortham Center [88] The Hobby Center [89] Jones Hall [90] and The Alley Theatre. [91]

Learn

Houston is home to Rice University, one of the most highly regarded private universities in the country. The wooded campus is noted for its beautiful architecture and public art, including James Turrell's "Twilight Ephiphany." Houston's largest public university is the University of Houston, home to the Blaffer Museum of Art. The campus of St. Thomas University is located near the Menil Collection and Rothko Chapel and was designed by Pritzker Award-winning architect Philip Johnson.

Work

The Houston unemployment rate is below the national average. Among large metropolitan areas, job creation rates in Houston are among the highest in the nation.

Buy

Many of the shopping malls are concentrated to the west of downtown in Uptown.

In general, prices in Houston are lower than in other major US cities.

A very popular place to go shopping in Houston is the Houston Galleria. The Galleria is the largest mall in Texas[92] and the ninth largest in the United States. They have anything you could ever think of and more. At the Galleria you can find people shopping at high end stores such as, Bebe, Coach, Neiman Marcus, Cartier, Gucci, Macy's, Tiffany & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, The Sharper Image, Ralph Lauren Collection, Louis Vuitton and Houston's only Nordstrom. You can also find people ice skating in the ice rink on the bottom floor. Also, you will find nail salons, 375 fine stores and restaurants. And to top it off at the Galleria there are two Westin hotels. The Galleria is widely recognized as the number one shopping and tourist destination in Houston. [93]

19th Street in the Heights is a walkable shopping district with a small-town feel. It features several antique and retail clothing shops, a Mexican handi-craft store and a number of boutiques. Several restaurants and coffeeshops nearby make the area a good afternoon destination.

Eat

Houston has outstanding dining options, and is widely considered the most restaurant-oriented city in the United States, with a thriving community of ethnic restaurants, superb Tex-Mex, classic Texas steakhouses and Gulf Coast seafood, as well as chain restaurants. Houston's fine dining scene has exploded in recent years, with Downtown, Montrose, Midtown, and the Heights (including the Washington Corridor) as the epicenter of what's hot-and-happening now.

Although high-quality, authentic Mexican food can be found just about anywhere in the city (for some of the best surprises, stop by any nondescript taqueria and order nearly anything at random), the best ethnic dining is generally found in West Houston - in particular the area west of Highway 59 and south of I-10, with everything from Middle Eastern to Ethiopian to Bosnian. The bustling Mahatma Gandhi District around Hillcroft St. is the place to go for top-notch Indian and Pakistani cuisine. In years past, you'd go east of Downtown or to Midtown for your Chinese or Vietnamese fix (respectively); nowadays the new Chinatown (or sometimes "Asiatown" which locate on Bellaire Blvd. at Beltway 8) is the new one-stop shop for your cravings. Lying just north of I-10, Long Point Drive and North Gessner sport crowded Korean joints, fantastic taco trucks, and hidden Thai gems.

With hometown stars such as Monica Pope (Sparrow Bar + Cookshop) and Bryan Caswell (Reef, Little Big's, El Real) making their debut on TV shows such as Top Chef and on the Food Network, and more and more chefs and restaurants getting name-checked in media (like GQ's Best Of lists, or Bon Appetit's recent declaration of Houston as the best food city in Texas) and earning award nominations (Randy Rucker's Bootsie's Heritage Cafe was up for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant - the "Oscars of the restaurant world"), Houston's dining scene seems slowly but surely to be staking out room on the national stage.

Cafe Pita+, 10852 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042, ☎(713) 953-7237, [12]. Although the decor isn't much to look at, this mom-and-pop in West Houston offers affordable, hearty Bosnian cuisine. Try the meza platter, cevap sandwich or one of the pizzas. Cafe Pita+ was once featured on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. BYOB.

The Breakfast Klub, 3711 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002, ☎(713) 528-8561, [13]. The place in Houston for waffles and wings. Long lines on Saturday mornings, but the food is worth the wait.

Eating Local

Like any city with a respectable, trendy food scene, Houston's top restaurants seem to be all about what's seasonal and local these days (oh, and Houston is just now getting into gourmet food trucks), as well as becoming increasingly prominent in stores as well. Fresh produce to seek out include tomatoes, sweet "1015" onions (not as sweet as the Hawaiian variety, but pretty impressive), watermelon, strawberries, peaches, corn, carrots, and squash blossoms. Look for Texas cheese from the [Houston Dairymaids][94] and bread baked daily and shipped to restaurants from the Slow Dough Bakery. Houstonians are just as crazy for crawfish (no "crayfish" down here, Yankee) as Louisianans are, as well as catfish and Gulf seafood such as red snapper, blue crab, and shrimp; gaining in popularity are local species that were previously overlooked, such as blackfin tuna, tilefish, grouper, almaco jack, and black drum. Houston has always had a steady supply of oysters from Galveston Bay, but the program of oyster "appellations" has only recently been revived, meaning high-quality specimens are labeled with their reef of origin, just like the well-known varieties from the east and west coasts - look for varieties such as Ladies Pass and Pepper Grove.

Drink

Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co., 5301 Nolda St Houston, TX 77007, ☎713-750-9795, [16]. Brewery Tours are open to the public every Saturday from Noon to 3PM. Pre-sale tickets are available online.

La Carafe, 813 Congress St Houston, TX 77002, ☎(713) 229-9399. The La Carafe building is listed on the National Register for Historic Places and is believed to be the oldest bar in Houston, and is the oldest commercial building still in use, in Houston. The romantic atmosphere is enhanced with an old-school jukebox, and a menu of beer and wine.

Local Beer

The Saint Arnold Brewery[95], located in Houston, is billed as Texas' oldest microbrewery. Their brews are often sold in local bars. The brewery is open for public tours Monday through Friday from 3:00PM to 4:15PM, and Saturday 11:00AM to 2:00PM. In addition to, or in lieu of taking the tour, you can bring food and sit at the rows of picnic tables in the large beer hall. Admission includes four 8oz samples of beer. This unique admission setup exploits a loophole in state law that tries to prevent brewpubs from packaging and distributing beer.

Sleep

Crowne Plaza Suites Houston, 9090 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77074, ☎7139950123, [18]. This Houston Hotel is an all suite hotel conveniently located just minutes away from all the attractions and places to visit while in Houston. This Crowne Plaza Suites Houston is an atrium hotel with conference and catering facilities, restaurant and lounge, room service, indoor pool, whirlpool, fitness room, free business center, free parking and much more!

Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston, 2222 West Loop South Freeway, Houston, TX 77027, ☎7136277600, [19]. Located in the heart of Uptown Houston near The Galleria, this hotel offers spacious accommodations, meeting space, vacation packages and easy access to the Museum and Theater districts.

Hotel ZaZa, 5701 Main St, [20]. Located in the heart of the vibrant Museum District and minutes from the world renowned Texas Medical Center, Hotel ZaZa Houston boasts 17,000 square feet of function space and is the perfect backdrop for any business meeting - not to mention home to some of Houston’s most memorable weddings and galas.

Magnolia Hotel, 1100 Texas Ave Houston, TX 77002, [21]. Named the 2012 "Best Boutique Hotel in Houston" by the Houston Press, the hotel was originally the home for the Houston Post Dispatch newspaper and later the corporate office for Shell Oil Company, the boutique Magnolia Hotel in downtown Houston, TX opened in March 2003 after extensive renovation. Hailed as one of the most impressive office buildings in Texas, Magnolia's restoration has re-established the 1926 historic landmark as one of Houston's most distinct properties.

Hotel Icon, 220 Main St Houston, TX 77002, [22]. Hotel ICON, an exclusive member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, is located in the heart of downtown at the confluence of dynamic business, theater, legal and sports districts. Originally built in 1911 as the Union National Bank Building, our hotel in Houston, TX thoughtfully balances irreplaceable period detail, grand neoclassical architecture and dynamic, contemporary Houston hotel rooms.

La Colombe d'Or Hotel, 3410 Montrose Blvd Houston, TX 77006, [25]. Occupying the historic Fondren mansion, originally built in 1923 as a private residence for the founder of Humble Oil, the landmark property now serves as one of the world’s smallest luxury hotels and the gateway to the Houston Museum District.

Contact

Phone

Houston has multiple telephone area codes and mandatory 10-digit dialing. For any number, even within your own area code, you need to dial areacode + number. For local calls, you do not dial a 1+ or a 0+ before the number. Some calls within Houston are considered long distance, and for those you need to dial 1 + areacode + number.

Houston's area codes are: 713, 281, 832 and 346.

Stay safe

Crime

While overall crime rates in Houston are low, travelers to Houston should follow common safety procedures such as staying away from deserted areas after dark, keeping purses/wallets in a secure location, and putting valuables out-of-sight in parked vehicles. For emergency assistance, travelers can contact Houston Police Department by dialing 911. In addition, travelers should dial 911 to report most crimes in progress. For non-emergency assistance and for crimes not in progress such as minor assault, car theft, home invasion, property damage, and theft, dial 713-884-3131 and request police assistance. The Houston Police Department also allows citizens to file online reports for minor property damage and theft if they are under $5,000 in damages. Residents of Texas are allowed to carry concealed firearms after completing training and a thorough background check.

Natural disasters

Houston is like much of the Gulf Coast in that it is very vulnerable to hurricanes in the summer and fall. If a hurricane is forecast to make landfall anywhere near Houston, listen to officials and heed mandatory evacuation orders if one is ordered. The last major hurricane to hit Houston was Hurricane Ike on September 13, 2008, which caused severe damage.

Houston is very hot and humid in the summer with temperatures around 87°F - 100°F (31°C - 38°C). In the daytime, one may not be able to stay outdoors for very long without having to seek relief in air conditioning. However, in the winter, Houston can be mild with temperatures ranging from 30°F - 64°F (-1°C - 18°C), abiet with many cloudy or rainy days.

METRO Rail

Unlike other large cities in the nation such as Chicago, New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, Houston doesn't have a local rail rapid transit network in place. METRO Rail is the initial line of what is planned to be a rapid transit system. The line starts at UofH Downtown, through downtown, into Midtown, to Texas Medical Center, and then the Reliant Complex near the south side, for a length of just over seven miles. Houstonians have a tendency to park along the rail line or the south side lot to go into downtown or the medical center as it is easier to get in and out of those areas with the train without the hassle of parking and traffic.

Please be careful when coming near the METRO Rail track, especially at intersections.

Follow the signs since the trains move very quickly and run at almost all hours of the day and night. It runs almost silently. At many streets, left turns are not permitted. Also watch the signs and signals, because some will change as trains approach. Do not drive on the tracks as there are large raised white domes that separate the roadway and the rail line. In some areas signs may indicate driving (or walking) on the tracks is permitted (currently only in the Texas Medical Center) but make sure it is safe to do so.

Drive across the tracks only when you are sure it is safe to do so, especially at night as an oncoming train may not be heard by a driver inside a car.

Cope

If that isn't your thing. try the simple thing most Houstonians do when they need to release tensions of big city madness: take a walk in the beautiful parks or go walking and shopping downtown. If you know someone who lives in Houston, you can have a lunch on a gorgeous spring day outside. Sometimes the most relaxing and peaceful things don't always involve money.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!